What is the best way to handle multiple meeting requests?

As an office administrator, you may have to deal with multiple meeting requests from different sources, such as your boss, colleagues, clients, or external partners. How can you handle them efficiently and avoid conflicts, confusion, or missed deadlines? Here are some tips to help you manage your meeting schedule and communicate effectively with all the stakeholders.

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1 Use a calendar app

A calendar app is a must-have tool for any office administrator who needs to handle multiple meeting requests. It can help you keep track of your appointments, set reminders, share your availability, and sync with other devices. You can also use a calendar app to create recurring meetings, invite attendees, and attach relevant documents or links. Some popular calendar apps are Google Calendar, Outlook, and Calendly.

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Sara B.

HLCE Administrative Assistant at AgeSpan
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I use two calendar apps plus a physical planner and put everything in all of them - work and personal. That way I don't overbook myself when another meeting comes up I may want to attend.

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2 Prioritize your meetings

Not all meetings are equally important or urgent. You need to prioritize your meetings based on their purpose, relevance, and impact. For example, you may want to attend a meeting that involves a key decision, a project update, or a client feedback, rather than a meeting that is just for information or socializing. You can use a simple matrix to categorize your meetings into four quadrants: important and urgent, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and not important and not urgent. Then, you can allocate your time and resources accordingly.

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Sara B.

HLCE Administrative Assistant at AgeSpan
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I know which meetings - usually staff and department meetings - are the most important for me to attend. If something is not important or urgent, I will see if there's another option for me to attend.

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3 Negotiate or decline when necessary

Sometimes, you may receive meeting requests that conflict with your existing schedule, your priorities, or your workload. In such cases, you need to negotiate or decline the meeting requests politely and professionally. You can do this by explaining your reason, offering an alternative time or date, suggesting a different format or duration, or delegating to someone else. You can also use templates or scripts to respond to meeting requests quickly and effectively.

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4 Confirm and prepare for your meetings

Once you have accepted a meeting request, you need to confirm and prepare for it. You can confirm the meeting by sending a confirmation email or message, reiterating the date, time, location, agenda, and expectations. You can also ask for any clarification or information that you need before the meeting. To prepare for the meeting, you need to review the agenda, do some research, gather your materials, and anticipate any questions or issues.

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Sara B.

HLCE Administrative Assistant at AgeSpan
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Once I have confirmed a meeting, I place a reminder in my calendars and prepare for it by reviewing the agenda and anticipating questions and the topic of the meeting.

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5 Follow up and follow through

After the meeting, you need to follow up and follow through with the actions and outcomes. You can follow up by sending a thank-you note, a summary, or a feedback to the attendees, highlighting the key points, decisions, and action items. You can also ask for any input or suggestions that can improve the meeting process or results. To follow through, you need to complete your tasks, update your progress, and report your results to the relevant people.

Handling multiple meeting requests can be challenging, but not impossible. By using a calendar app, prioritizing your meetings, negotiating or declining when necessary, confirming and preparing for your meetings, and following up and following through, you can manage your meeting schedule and communicate effectively with all the stakeholders.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What is the best way to handle multiple meeting requests?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Use a calendar app

2 Prioritize your meetings

3 Negotiate or decline when necessary

4 Confirm and prepare for your meetings

5 Follow up and follow through

6 Here’s what else to consider

Office Administration

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What is the best way to handle multiple meeting requests?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Use a calendar app

2 Prioritize your meetings

3 Negotiate or decline when necessary

4 Confirm and prepare for your meetings

5 Follow up and follow through

6 Here’s what else to consider

Office Administration

Rate this article

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